I received an eARC curtsy of Netgalley (thank you, Netgalley!).

Some parts were predictable, others not so much so.

My favorite character was Vala. I didn't like Cerys very much: she would always talk about how afraid she was and how she was "just a gardener's daughter" and couldn't break a curse and yet she was the first one always running head first into trouble when she hears calls for help. So there didn't seem to be much of a flaw she had to overcome.

A fun fast-paced read that was refreshingly fairytale-esque.

In a peaceful kingdom at the edge of a dangerous and magical wood, seventeen year-old Cerys is safe in her role as the royal gardener’s daughter. But on the day of her best friend’s coronation, everything goes wrong. Creatures long concealed in the woods attack the kingdom, and only Cerys and the strange fox she once saved are able to escape. Now on the run and in the woods the kingdom fears, Cerys, Fox, and a magical bear they befriend must travel to a mysterious kingdom in the heart of the wood to beg for a way to save the home and people Cerys loves. But not everything is as it seems, and if Cerys and her companions want to survive, they must unearth secrets buried within themselves and in the shadows of the wood.

Dark and magical, this book is a breathtaking new addition to the young adult fantasy world. I enjoyed the slow introduction to the kingdom, and once the action began, it was almost impossible to pause for even a second. The magic that Cerys possesses is fresh and new, and I was pleased with its growing role in the story. Cerys is a wonderful heroine who is relatable because she doesn’t have all the answers all the time and questions many of the choices she makes. Fox is also a brilliant character. His narrative voice was fun and fascinating, and I absolutely loved joining the pair on their adventure. This book is perfect for fans of fantasy, magic, and fairy tale twists.

(Pine Reads Review would like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing us with an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Any quotes are taken from an advanced copy and may be subject to change.)

This was a fun new fairytale that didn't rely on the overdone tropes. This story had me guessing at every turn, but was a solid fairytale. I am keen to see what Poston has up her sleeve next.

I really enjoyed this! It's a perfect fantasy read for those middle-grade readers who are looking to "age-up" into YA, but aren't necessarily ready for...everything that might mean (sex, drugs, rock-n-roll, you get it). This book also made use of some of my favorite tropes: our lead is accompanied by a fox AND bear friend who are perhaps more than they seem to be at first, and most of the story is set in creepy woods, which is my absolute favorite horror trope. Beyond that, I really liked our main character - she was a loyal, fierce, and quick on her feet, and she wanted "more than this provencial life" if you will without wholesale abandoning her friends and family. It's going to be perfect for a "Tails and Tales" summer reading list. 4 stars.

I really loved the classic fairytale vibe to this book. It certainly includes all of the faraway lands, magical places, and adventure that you would expect.

Among the Beasts and Briars was easily one of my favorite books of 2020. Part fairy tale, part action fantasy, all pure magic.

Cerys has a forbidden magic. After being woodcursed by the magical forest that lives at the edge of her kingdom, she has the power to make plants blossom and multiply with her blood. (I swear if you can find a more beautiful kind of magic, let me know!) There are bone-eaters that live in the cursed wood, reanimated corpses of people that went into the woods and never again came out. While attending the coronation of her best friend, a bone-eater causes chaos in the crowd, and Cerys manages to grab the magical crown that has always kept her village safe from the wood. After she believes everyone she loves is gone, Cerys and her fox companion take the crown and search for a fabled magical city in order to restore her family and her home.

First of all, this novel was gorgeously written and marvelously paced. It's unputdownable, and the short chapters are great for those reluctant readers. Fox is turned into a man early in the story, and I almost didn't believe his ability to process and understand the human world, but as the story unfolded, all of my doubts were cast aside (don't want to say more because SPOILERS). I fell in love with this world, I loved the characters so much, and I have been constantly thinking about this book since I finished it. I have yet to come across a Poston novel I don't LOVE but I think this is her best work yet. I have already purchased it for our collection and cannot wait to put it into the hands of teens that I know will love it too.

Content warnings: Death of a parent, death of a friend, some romance, but it never goes farther than kissing. Great for middle and high school students.

I loved the fairy tale vibes of this book. I wasn't sure what to expect but I knew I loved Poston's past books so I was excited to read fantasy from her. She created a magical enchanting world and populated it with fierce witty characters I fell in love with. I love good banter and heartfelt moments which were plentiful in this story. I can see myself returning to this world when I am in need of comfort or a good friend hug. I wish the story was longer because some of the plot felt not fully realized, but overall very enjoyable read.

Poston has done it again! With her signature wit and sharp pen she tells her own fairy tale her own way. Her characters are relatable and wildly named, their motives both pure and shady AF and the enjoyable ride is everything you would want from a Poston novel. Her trademark style is all over this quirky yet endearing read and it's perfect for anyone who longs for far off places, daring sword fights, magic spells, a prince in disguise! If you like all of that much make this yours.

I'd like to thank Net Galley and the publisher for a free e-ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are mine.

If your looking for a light fantasy read, a fairytale vibe, or a cozy autumn read than this is for you! The magic and world building aren't super complex or difficult to follow, making it an easy read. I definitely enjoyed the journey the Cerys/Daisy went on alongside her shy Fox friend, he was one of my favorite characters.

The plot twist is easy to predict, but I didn't mind that with this story! I think my only negative was the romance aspect. Now I am a HUGE fan of romance, but it just didn't feel as natural to me as it would have if the characters had remained friends. I don't usually push for the friend aspect, but I think it would have fit better.

Overall, this book is a perfect fall read that I think many will enjoy! Highly recommend to anyone looking for a light fantasy, fairytale or easy read!

Disclosure: I received a complimentary eARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes. I'd like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for providing me this opportunity!

I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is reminiscent of a fairy tale. It follows Cerys, a girl who lives in a kingdom where the terrible woodcurse is held at bay only through the magic tied to the crown every ruler wears. She's convinced she'll never be more than the royal gardener's daughter, as her blood holds the magic to make plants grow. That is, until the woodcurse takes over her town, interrupts the coronation of her best friend, and turns everyone but her into horrible monsters. With only her fox friend to accompany her, Cerys travels into the wood to save her kingdom and restore her friends and family.

Overall, the magic system was interesting, but I struggled to connect with the plot and found the pacing erratic. I was hoping I'd enjoy it more as I liked the other two Ashley Poston books I've read: Geekerella and Heart of Iron. I think Among the Beasts & Briars has a younger feel to it.

I was lucky to get a free eARC of this book to review. I loved Ashley Poston’s previous sci-fi books, so I was very curious to see how she handles a fantasy. This book really has a fairytale feel to the writing and to the world Poston created. She also has a very atmospheric way of writing, and the reader really feels like they can vividly see the world that has been created. It is fascinating to see an author with such a wide range of genres, like Poston has, and be able to execute them well!

I’ll admit that the plot didn’t sound like anything super original, so I was skeptical going into this. But I loved this author and I wanted to give it a shot, and I ended up really liking this book. It is not the most amazing thing that I have read, but I became really connected to these characters. That is something I have noticed with Poston, is that she makes you really care about what happens to the characters in her stories. And I really did. I was on the edge of my seat for most of this story, and I truly finished this in one day, in almost one sitting.

My problems with this book were mainly wrapped up in the amount of flower metaphors that were in this book. Our main character and her father are the florists for the town, so you can imagine what type of metaphors were made by them. It’s a very small issue, which I think is saying something if that is the only issue I can really find. I will get a quick content warning for body horror and gore. There is a lot of talk about a cure on the people in this story, which is quite graphic at times.

Overall, this book was still really good and I am so glad that I had the chance to read it.

Thank you to HarperCollins and NetGalley for providing me the opportunity to review this title.

An enchanting story about a gardener’s daughter, a fox, and a cursed crown, Among the Beasts & Briars follows Cerys and Fox as they journey to uncover the secrets, lies, and history of the magical world they live in.

This book was so beautiful, violent and romantic all at once. This is one of the most unique creepy woods stories I've read. It's terrifying, but there's such a beauty to it. The ambience is so well done. You can smell the rotting leaves in the woods, feel the fog, and see the bent and gnarled trees.

This is an easy story to get lost in. From the first pages, the author immerses the reader into this fantastical world where royalty has power, wild woods are dangerous, animals seem to know more than humans, and monsters lurk around every corner. The story is fluid and well-paced, and the writing is beautiful. I love the vivid descriptions that drew me into a fantastical and frightening world.

Title: Among the Beasts & Briars
Author: Ashley Poston
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.2 out of 5.0

Cerys is safe in the kingdom of Aloriya.

Here there are no droughts, disease, or famine, and peace is everlasting. It has been this way for hundreds of years, since the first king made a bargain with the Lady who ruled the forest that borders the kingdom. But as Aloriya prospered, the woods grew dark, cursed, and forbidden. Cerys knows this all too well: when she was young, she barely escaped as the woods killed her friends and her mother. Now Cerys carries a small bit of the curse—the magic—in her blood, a reminder of the day she lost everything. The most danger she faces now, as a gardener’s daughter, is the annoying fox who stalks the royal gardens and won’t leave her alone.

As a new queen is crowned, however, things long hidden in the woods descend on the kingdom itself. Cerys is forced on the run, her only companions the small fox from the garden, a strange and powerful bear, and the magic in her veins. It’s up to her to find the legendary Lady of the Wilds and beg for a way to save her home. But the road is darker and more dangerous than she knows, and as secrets from the past are uncovered amid the teeth and roots of the forest, it’s going to take everything she has just to survive.

This story felt like an enchantment. I enjoyed the magic and the creatures in the woods—unique in concept and execution. Reading this, I felt like I’d stepped into the pages of a fairy tale.

However, none of the reveals came as a surprise to me. Some of it just turned out exactly like I expected, and there are hints that the next book will also have some things I just expect to happen. I don’t know if it’s because I’ve read so much fantasy over the years that certain things seem like they’re done a lot—or if the hints the author dropped were just a touch too heavy-handed. It doesn’t detract from the story, but it’s there.

Ashley Poston is from South Carolina. Among the Beasts & Briars is her newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Balzer + Brayin exchange for an honest review.)

(Blog link live 10/27.)

Among the Beasts and Briars is a fantasy tale of Cerys, daughter of the royal gardener, who has a power in her blood that makes plants bloom and grow at astonishing speed. Her power comes from the remains of a curse from the woods that was supposed to turn her into a monster. Now, on the day of the coronation ceremony for the princess (and Cerys' best friend), the curse is back with a vengeance, and affects everyone but Cerys. She and her pet fox embark on a quest to break the curse on her kingdom before it's too late.

First of all, I really love everything that Ashley Poston writes. Among the Beasts and Briars wasn't perfect, but I still enjoyed it immensely. It feels like a fairy tale, but it's a completely original story that was a fun ride. There are certain things that aren't fully revealed until late in the story, but you are definitely given enough clues to put a lot of pieces together on your own. Sometimes that annoys me, because I feel like it should be more suspenseful, but I think it was done on purpose in this case. We are meant to recognize clues that Cerys doesn't yet, and wait in anticipation for her to figure it out. I thought the ending was perfect, because it definitely leaves the door wide open for a sequel (or more!).

I received this ARC courtesy of Netgalley, in return for my honest and unbiased review.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book (I think). I got an eGalley of this from NetGalley to review.

Story (5/5): This was very good and I liked it a lot. It's quite a departure from Poston's other series (Heart of Iron, Once Upon a Con). This has a classic fairy tale feel to it but also a lot of action and adventure along with some witty banter. I loved the dark fairy tale vibe to this story. There are some fun twists and turns to the story, some of them were predictable and some of them were not. I really enjoyed the adventure and the way everything was resolved. This seems to be a stand alone story but there are hints that there may be stories about some of the other characters to come, which I would love to see.

Cerys lives in an isolated city where King Sunder ruled with a magic crown that protected everyone from the evil forest and the monsters that surround the city. Cerys's best friend, Anwen, is set to inherit the crown after King Sunder's death but then everything goes horribly wrong. Cerys is left to venture through the evil forest with only Fox (her pet fox) by her side and her strange magic (that makes her blood grow vegetation) to help her through. Her and Fox are searching for the lost city in the woods that should be able to save them.

Characters (4/5): Cerys was an okay character but came off as a bit vanilla to me at times. I absolutely adored Fox, he was funny and witty and complex. Some of the side characters were more interesting than Cerys and sounds like they might feature in their own stories at some point.

Setting (5/5): I loved the setting of this evil forest, it was so creative and well described. Poston did a great job of developing the setting here and really making it come alive.

Writing Style (4/5): I always enjoy Poston's ideas for stories, however I am not completely sold on her writing style. It's technically well done but always seems to be lacking a little more description or something to give it a bit more depth and complexity. A vague complaint I know, but I have read all of her books to date and am always left feeling like, "Well, I liked that story but I just felt like it was a but thin at points."

My Summary (4.5/5): Overall I would definitely recommend if you love dark fairy tales and adventures. This was well done and there aren't a lot of books like this out there. If future books are released that are off-shoots from this one I definitely plan on checking them out.

A new and original fairy tale is hard to come by and yet somehow Ashley Piston made it happen. I loved the atmosphere of this book so much. The characters were all different and distinct but came together to make a wonderful cast, which Poston has done before, and I could barely put this book down. So wonderful!

The ULTIMATE fall fantasy book! Kingdoms, magic. good vs. evil, a romance, action scenes, this book has it all!

So very touching--after you read this, you will just want to hug it to your chest.

The magic system was very unique and I enjoyed reading about its history and origins. I loved the dual narrative and the witty dialogue between characters.

To me, this read right between middle grade and YA--my students would LOVE this book. The representation is also FABULOUS and the lasting hints at #2 made my heart sing!

I took off a star because the character development was a bit lacking. I would have loved to learn more about Cerys and the rest of the "cast". I still feel like I don't quite know them like I would have liked. Maybe book two will fix that?

4/5

This entire book was a thrill ride! I'm not usually a fan of retellings, but I loved Heart of Iron, so I knew I had to read this one. Among the Beasts & Briars is a wholly original coming-of-age fairytale jampacked full of magic, adventure, and determination.

While the book left a few things open-ended (for spin-offs I hope!) it didn't detract from a satisfying conclusion to the tale. I'm looking forward to more fantasy novels from Poston in the future!

Among the Beasts and Briars is a combination fairy tale retelling (I think), but I felt like Sleeping Beauty and Beauty and the Beast were the predominant tales. Cerys is a gardener's daughter who has been friends with the prince and princess forever. The royal family is the keeper of the crown that keeps the creepy and dangerous forest, along with its monsters, at bay and protects the kingdom. Cerys was touched by the wood when her mother died, but for some reason the woodcurse did not kill her, but instead gave her magical powers to grow plants. But when the king dies and Anwen is crowned, the forest and its monsters breaks free, and Cerys has to go on a quest to save herself, her friends, and her kingdom by traveling through the forest with her fox companion to try to break the curse. This book was honestly much darker and creepier than I expected from a YA fairy tale retelling. The monsters are pretty unsettling and the forest is intruguing but also harboring all of these dangers. I'm definitely a horror wimp but I really enjoyed this book, and if you want a creepy fall, fairy tale, with a spooky forest, this would be great. I would recommend you allow yourself to suspend your disbelief just a little bit, but if you like animal companions, a pretty cute romance, and an compelling, easy read, you'll probably love Among the Beasts and Briars.

There were definitely things that kinda bugged me. I don't like the unworthiness angst (I'm just a gardener's daughter and so I'm not made for great things) or the fact that both characters would often blame themselves for things that weren't their fault. I get guilt, and dealing with that is absolutely a journey, but this felt like obstinacy and unhealthy, misguided guilt. Cerys was a little annoying because she's a little too polite. I actually can find (too) fiery females annoying, but Cerys felt a little bland, but she did have a LOT of growth. I found the flashbacks a little clunky, but that got better throughout the story. I found a couple things rather implausible for the sake of increasing drama. Also when we're in the kingdom, there's the fairy tale environment vibe, but then the characters drink coffee and grab keys and have trains. I just found it a little jarring, and I wish that it felt it had a little bit more of a purpose in the worldbuilding, but it mostly felt convenient. I felt like the ending left a couple questions hanging, but perhaps I just missed them.

That said, I LOVED Fox. I can't say much without spoilers, so I'm going to put some spoiler tags here. It won't spoil anything very major, but I just have to talk about it. (view spoiler) I liked the romance, even if it was a little angsty at times. I found the world pretty intriguing. I wish we'd gotten more about the magic, but the story did good.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed Among the Beasts and Briars. It's a good fun read but with plenty of depth to keep you interested and invested. I've been reading so many heavy books lately, that it was so enjoyable to just speed through this lighter book. 3.5 stars rounded up.

Thanks to Balzer + Bray and Netgalley for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Ashley Poston has done it again! She’s made me fall in love with the world and characters that she’s created. I loved this story so much, with all its twists and turns, and just that hint of Beauty and the Beast that was visible, but not so much that it overpowered everything else she was doing. The magic and the lore were fantastic, and though I saw a few of the twists coming earlier on, it didn’t take away from the story itself for me! (Also, I feel that I just read so much that I’m LOOKING for those foreshadowing moments and trying to figure it out way before I’m supposed to!) Amazing, highly recommended, and I can’t wait to hand sell this to friends and patrons!

Also, if there ends up being a sequel, I will SQUEAL.